Sony's DRM "Root Kit" controversy

This one promises to run and run - if you've not been aware of it Sony/BMG have audio CDs out there with an autorun app that installs a media player onto your PC. Once installed it patches your Windows kernal (programmers refer to this as a "Root Kit") so that Sony/BMG CDs become unrippable by launching the Sony Media Player and taking control of the CD drive. The terrible part of it is that if you uninstall the media player you potentially loose your CD drives (at best) and at worst wind up with a machine that BSODs. It is unforgivable behaviour and if I found my Windows install was thus compromised I re-pave the machine with a new install of the OS. The lesson is to make sure you have auto-play turned off on all your removable drives.
Anyhow - a very funny post on Sysinternal (who broke the story origionally):

f you want a more concrete proof, try to rename your favourite ripping software as $sys$whatever.exe and then run it again. You'll notice that the DRM system can no longer detect it, and thus you'll get good copy of the track you try to rip instead of one filled with noise.

Thats just hilarious. I think everyone should simply not worry about removing the rootkit, as this is too difficult, and then just do at Matti says, and use the rootkit to make your favorite ripping tool immune to the DRM. On second thought, is their software breaking the DMCA? It provides a method to bypass copyright protection that they install? Hmm...

There is a worry that virus and other malware authors can exploit this loophole - but the idea that the very thing that Sony were trying to prevent now gets easier is funny.
A list of Sony/BMG disks that you should avoid.

23rd November update: It now appears that Sony had bundled the open source Lame encoder as part of the XCP install - in clear violation of the GNU public license. It seems it's OK for Sony BMG to install software on your PC that stops you from making legitimate use of the music you purchased and at the same time they're ripping off other people's IP!

You couldn't make it up!